Three Nights
by LovestoRead2013
Summary: Deeks and Kensi share a bed for three nights in the suburbs. Based loosely on "Neighborhood Watch." This story is complete. Comments welcome!
1. Chapter 1

**Three Nights**

Kensi sighed as she surveyed the king-size bed in the undercover house. It was one thing to work all day with Deeks, trading insults and chasing bad guys, but posing as a married couple in suburbia was really pushing it. Hetty's warnings about the strains of forced intimacy rose up in her mind.

She squared her shoulders. _I can do this. I'm a professional._ She unzipped her garment bag and hung some clothes in the closet. Sure, she had stayed overnight at Deeks' apartment and vice versa. It was part of their partnership "thing" – being there for each other after a crappy day or when an operation went south. Unwinding over a few beers and a silly movie.

This was different. Having to act all lovey-dovey. Share a bathroom and a bed. A _bed_, for crying out loud. _Hetty should pay me more for this._

At Deeks' apartment, she'd fallen asleep on the couch, sometimes with him and sometimes without, but that was because he didn't want her to drive after drinking. That was just common sense, wasn't it? Or was it something more that neither one of them wanted to acknowledge at the time?

Deeks sauntered into the bedroom, interrupting her self-analysis, and dropped a box on the floor. He then bounced onto the bed like a ten-year-old on a backyard trampoline.

"Yep, can't wait to christen this nice comfy bed tonight. What do you think, Fern?" He wore his usual goofy grin.

"Don't call me that." She narrowed her eyes at him.

Deeks put his hand over his heart and pretended to be crushed. "Aw, sweetie, honey, we could make a little ninja assassin right here. A little Marty or a little Kensi." He ran his hand over the striped comforter.

Kensi glared at him. Probably any number of beach bimbos or yoga bunnies would love to trade places with her. On some level - one she didn't want to examine right now - that thought disturbed her.

"Deeks, shut up. We need to get out and meet the neighbors so we can identify this Russian agent. Then I can get back to my normal life."

"What's normal about our lives, Kensi? We hunt criminals, lie to people, and sleep with a gun under our pillow."

Kensi stood with her hands on her hips. "Okay, I'll give you that. But this seems weird, too."

"Hip young couple in the 'burbs seems weird? What planet are you from? Never mind, that was a rhetorical question."

DING-dong.

Deeks jumped up and took her arm. "Come on, honey. Time to play the loving couple."

11:50 p.m.

They had met the neighbors on either side, gone grocery shopping, and eaten dinner at a nearby Thai restaurant. Deeks was propped up in bed wearing a tee shirt and pajama bottoms. He was working on his tablet.

Well, _working_, was a loose term. He'd checked e-mail and started reading a file from Hetty. But the sound of the water running in the shower distracted him. He imagined Kensi's perfect body naked and lathered up with some flowery-scented gel. He groaned and closed Hetty's file. To drag his mind out of the gutter, he pulled up a game where he could aggressively hunt down and decimate space aliens. Oh yeah, that was better.

Kensi ran the brush through her long hair and studied her reflection in the mirror. In the bedroom, she heard Deeks playing a game. Every few seconds it was "Take that, you slimy bastard!" or "Eat my dust!" or some other juvenile comment. She smiled and shook her head. She could almost picture her and Deeks living like this, a normal couple, annoying each other and sharing inside jokes.

_Whoa, where did that come from? _ She frowned at herself. She was just tired and stressed out about the next few days. Hetty's warnings about unfamiliar feelings and emotions again flitted through her head. She needed to get her defenses back up and focus on the job. This was a job, after all and not a vacation. She turned off the light and entered the bedroom.

"Who said you could take the left side?" she demanded.

Deeks looked up and smiled. No doubt about it. His partner was _hot_. Like Las-Vegas-sidewalk-in-August _hot. _Her hair was loose and wavy, just the way he liked it. His eyes slid over her body-hugging tank top and sleep shorts.

_Viven. She wore those on purpose to torture me. _He wondered if he could share this bed with her for who knew how many nights and not cross their invisible line. A man could only take so much.

"I always sleep on the left." He closed the tablet and set it on the nightstand.

"Says who?"

"Come to bed, Kensi. We've had a long day." He patted the space beside him. "I'll even fluff your pillow." He grabbed one and started punching it.

"That's ridiculous. It doesn't need fluffing because my head has not even touched it."

Deeks smirked. He enjoyed nothing better than pushing Kensi's buttons.

"I want you to have a good night's sleep, that's all."

Kensi stalked over to Deeks and snatched the pillow, holding it against her chest like a shield. "Goodnight, Deeks." She retreated to the right side of the bed and flopped down, promptly rolling away from Deeks.

"What, no goodnight kiss?" He sounded so pathetic that she couldn't help but smile. Not that she'd let him see that. Instead, she snorted and adjusted the pillow.

Unable to leave it alone, Deeks plows ahead. "You know, they say you shouldn't go to bed mad."

"I've always wondered who 'they' were," Kensi murmured.

"All the relationship experts."

"You don't have to worry your shaggy head over it since we are _not_ in a relationship."

Deeks turned off the bedside light, plunging the room into darkness. He slid down onto his back and put his hands behind his head. "Fern, that was cruel."

No response from Kensi's side, but Deeks smiled to himself. _We are in a relationship, but you're too stubborn to admit it yet. No problem. I can wait. _


	2. The Next Day

**THE NEXT DAY**

Deeks rolled over and reached for Kensi. No warm body there, only empty space. He sat up and listened. No water running or sounds of movement anywhere.

"Kensi . . . sweetie?"

He got up and peeked in the closet. Her running shoes were gone. "Okay, you can run, but I'll still catch you," he announced to the vacant room.

Shuffling downstairs to the kitchen, he turned on the coffee maker and decided to whip up some pancakes. Fifteen minutes later, Kensi returned from her run. She leaned against the counter as she caught her breath.

"That smells divine," she sighed.

"Sleep well last night?" he asked as he flipped a pancake.

"Yeah, sure."

"I don't think so. You tossed and turned and almost crowded me off the bed."

Kensi fixed him with what Deeks termed her "death stare." She pointed to the living room. "The couch is ready whenever you are. I'm sure you'd rather be sharing that bed with Olivia, the surgically-enhanced yoga instructor. Maybe I'll call Hetty and see if she can arrange it."

"Hey, it's fine. Marriage is an adjustment. I get that. We'll figure it out."

"Deeks, for the umpteenth time, we are _not _married, we are _not _involved, nada, zip. We . . .we're just _us_."

Deeks grinned. "I like _us_. Even if we do have a few wrinkles to iron out."

Kensi leaned over to take off her shoes. "Insufferable brat," she mumbled. "Worse than a fourteen-year-old."

Deeks leaned back to appreciate the view of her derrière. He picked up an extra spatula and swatted her.

Kensi sprang up. "What was that for?"

Deeks was the picture of innocence. "Oh, I'm sorry. That just slipped out of my hand." He bit his lip to keep from laughing. "Why don't you get your shower? Breakfast is almost ready."

Kensi gave him a final threatening look as she picked up her shoes. "You'll pay for that."

"Looking forward to it, partner."


	3. Meet the Neighbors

**MEET THE NEIGHBORS**

It was down to business after breakfast. The swatting incident was forgotten. At least it was put on a back burner, probably to be resurrected at a later time.

Kensi planned to meet with the neighborhood women who were getting ready for a big yard sale on Saturday. Several men were out working in their yards. Deeks decided to befriend them on the pretext of asking gardening advice. He'd found a pair of hedge clippers in the basement and was examining them.

"What are those for?" asked Kensi. "Do you even know how to use them?"

He tried to look offended. "I'll have you know I took a horticulture class in college. Learned all about bonsai and shrubs and plants."

Kensi looked skeptical. "You? Horticulture? Although I can picture you in deep manure."

"Okay, I admit it was only because I needed an elective. That and the fact that Candy Alvarez was in the class."

"Candy or 'eye candy'?"

Their discussion was interrupted by Eric calling with more background information on some of the neighbors.

"I'll catch up with you later, Deeks Scissorhands" said Kensi.

"Wait. You're wearing that?"

Kensi stopped and looked down at her attire. "I'm wearing shorts and sandals. It's what people wear in the summer."

"Where's your weapon?"

With a flourish, Kensi pulled a small gun out of the top of her bra. "Is that concealed enough for you?"

"Wow, I would never have known that was there. Okay, good. Uh, do you need help putting it back in? Because I can be very helpful."

Kensi grimaced and turned to go. "Give it up, Deeks. You're not as funny as you think."

"Yeah, well, I'm not sure I want every guy on the block checking out my wife's legs," he called after her.

1:30 p.m.

"What did you learn from that hen party, partner?" asked Deeks as he entered the kitchen. He went to the refrigerator and pulled out two bottles of water.

Kensi stood at the island making sandwiches for lunch. She spooned chicken salad onto wheat bread for him and then slathered peanut butter and grape jelly onto white bread for herself.

"Not much. They all appear to be time-short working moms trying to juggle jobs, kids, and housework." She handed Deeks a plate with his sandwich.

"Thanks, sweetie," he said cheerfully. Then he noticed her arm. There was an angry, red scrape from shoulder to elbow. "What happened to you?"

She looked at the back of her arm with disgust. "Ugh. Close encounter with a sidewalk."

"You fell?"

"No, I didn't fall," she huffed. "The Felton kids and a couple others were on their skateboards and mowed me down. I was listening to Mrs. Felton ramble on about plant food for roses and those hooligans were on me before I could get out of the way."

Deeks almost wanted to laugh at tough Kensi Blye getting plowed down by gangly middle-schoolers. It's a wonder she didn't pull out her gun and shoot them. But he knew that wouldn't earn him any points so he kept that thought to himself. He would, however, find a way to drop it in conversation sometime with Callen and Sam.

"Did you put something on it?" Deeks came around the island and examined her arm.

"Don't touch it! It's stinging," she shrieked and tried to jerk away.

"Kensi, there's dirt in it. We need to clean it and put some ointment on it. I saw some in the bathroom." He guided her toward a bar stool. "Sit down and I'll be back."

"Oh, I almost forgot," she called out. "Paulina and Brett who live on the corner invited us to dinner tomorrow night. Maybe we can get some leads there."

In less than a minute, Deeks was back with a warm, soapy washcloth and the ointment. He gently grasped Kensi's elbow and washed and dried her arm. To her credit, she didn't try to hit him with her good arm. Then it was time for the ointment.

"Okay, this may burn a little. You ready?"

Kensi frowned. "Yes, get on with it already!" She closed her eyes and bit her lip.

As gently as he could, Deeks rubbed the ointment in, a little at a time. He paused and studied Kensi's face. His Kensalina. She was tough and never wanted to show weakness. She always acted brave and invincible and seemed to think that she had to face everything in life by herself.

But sometimes there were little cracks in her armor. Like now. A single tear threatened to roll down her cheek. Deeks brushed it away with his thumb.

Kensi's eyes flew open. Deeks braced for her verbal assault. Surprisingly, nothing came out of her mouth.

"It's okay, Kens. I know it hurts, but it'll be better in a few minutes. And you don't have to be all badass, kick-butt federal agent all the time. At least not with me. I'm always here to catch you."

"But what if you're not?"

Deeks laid his index finger across her lips. "Sssh. I meant what I said. Now why don't you lie down for a while. Then we'll consolidate our intel."


	4. Dirty Laundry

**DIRTY LAUNDRY**

5 p.m.

Kensi awoke from her nap on the couch to discover a Twinkie lying on her abdomen. _Oh bless you, Deeks! _She sat up and greedily tore open the package and started eating. Then she heard a noise from the kitchen.

Dishwasher? Garbage disposal? She went to investigate. It was not coming from the kitchen, but rather the laundry room off the kitchen. She opened the door and found Deeks pressing buttons on the dryer.

"How's the arm, Sleeping Beauty?" he asked and gave her a wink.

Kensi had actually forgotten about her arm in her haste to stuff the Twinkie in her mouth. She glanced down at it. "Looks like hell, but feels okay."

She pointed to the dryer. "We haven't been here long enough to dirty up that many clothes."

"I didn't have time to do laundry before we started this op so this is two weeks' worth of my stuff. Oh, and I tossed your, uh, _delicates _in, too."

Kensi felt her blood pressure rising. "You did what?"

"Don't worry, this is the 'low heat' cycle so it should be okay."

Kensi was incredulous. "Ugh, my stuff all mixed up with your sweaty, stinky tee shirts and socks! Unbelievable." She pointed a finger at him. "If my _delicates_ as you put it get ruined, you are in big trouble, mister."

Deeks threw up his hands in mock surrender. "I'll replace them, no problem. Victoria's Secret, right? We could go shopping together. It'd be fun. I'd even hold your purse while you tried on _delicates_!"

"Oh my gosh. You have no concept of 'personal space,' do you?"

"Hey, I thought wives appreciated it when husbands did laundry. I know _I_ would appreciate it if you did _my_ laundry."

"You have got to drop this husband-wife stuff because that is so _not us_."

DING-dong.

The conversation ceased and they looked at each other. "Are we expecting anybody?" asked Deeks.

"Not that I know of."

Deeks reached behind him to check his gun. Kensi retrieved her gun from a drawer in the kitchen and checked the security camera. "Two white males with . . . is that a basket of muffins?"

Deeks peered over her shoulder. "Well, who isn't up for a delicious banana nut muffin?"

They went to the front door. Deeks looked at Kensi. "Ready?" She nodded.

He opened the door and the basket of muffins was thrust into his hands. "Hello, neighbors. I'm Bob and this is my partner, Rob. We own the Daisies and Daffodils Bakery. We wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood and always wanted to see the inside of this place."

Bob chattered more than Deeks and twenty minutes later they were finishing up their impromptu tour. Deeks' arm had snaked around Kensi's waist at the beginning of the tour and remained there. She tolerated it only to maintain their cover.

"And this room we're saving for the nursery, aren't we, sweetie?" He looked at her with a big smile.

She half smiled and half grimaced. "That's right . . . dear." But her jaw dropped when Deeks patted her abdomen with his other hand. He shamelessly used any excuse to touch his beautiful partner. All in the name of good undercover work, of course.

"Oh my, are you preggers? asked Rob, no doubt sensing a potential baby shower catering opportunity.

Kensi was horrified. "No, no, no, no, no!"

"No yet, but we're trying real hard!" said Deeks with unbridled enthusiasm.

Kensi felt her face grow warm. The three men chatted a few more minutes until Deeks ushered them out and closed the front door.

"What do make of them? Think they have any connection to the Russian?" asked Deeks. They were sitting on the couch now.

Kensi was zoned out. A terrifying image filled her mind: She was as big as a house, pregnant with twins. Deeks' twins. _It's this stupid operation. Making me think about things I shouldn't. It's all Hetty's fault._

Deeks waved a hand in front of her. "Earth to Kensi."

"What? Sorry. I'm getting a headache." She rubbed her forehead.

"Bob and Rob. What do you think?"

Kensi forced herself to get back in the game. "Both had a slight trace of eastern European accent, possibly Russian. But they hid it well. Maybe Nell and Eric could look at them more closely."

Deeks set a bottle of Tylenol and a glass of water on the coffee table. "You probably need to eat. We only had those sandwiches for lunch. How about Mexican or sushi? I know I'm starving."

"Definitely Mexican."

Deeks was already searching on his phone for a place that delivered.

By bedtime, Kensi felt like herself again. She'd had good Mexican for dinner, her headache was gone, and she was ready once more to do battle with Deeks.

She had just gotten out of the shower and wrapped herself in a towel when she heard him in the bedroom.

"Kens, you decent?

"Yes."

"Or indecent would be better," he said with a smirk.

"I heard that."

"Can I brush my teeth?"

"I don't know. Can you?"

"Okay, I'm . . . coming in," he said and slowly turned the doorknob. He pushed the door open. "You're wearing a towel," he said. Yesterday she would have thrown a hairbrush at him so he proceeded with caution.

"Excellent observation, Detective Deeks." The brush was in her hand, but she was using it for its intended purpose.

"Okay, so I'm going to brush my teeth and then I will leave you to your beauty regimen, or whatever women do in the bathroom that takes hours and hours."

She paused mid-stroke. "Excuse me, 'hours and hours'? I seem to recall it taking you an inordinate amount of time to get your tuxedo and hair just right when we had that op on the _Queen Mary._

His mouth was full of toothpaste so his reply was unintelligible.

"_Touché._ Her towel began to slip. She quickly grabbed the top to keep it in place.

Deeks' eyebrows rose and he grinned. Then he saluted her with the toothbrush and backed out of the bathroom.

He was already positioned on his side of the bed when his tablet dinged with an update from Eric and Nell. Kensi came out of the bathroom and Deeks did a double-take. The towel had been replaced with a short and slinky burgundy silk, spaghetti-strap nightgown.

Deeks was speechless and took a moment to find his voice. Sure, he'd seen her in sexy outfits on other operations, but this was very different. No way Hetty picked that out for her.

Kensi was toying with him, but he so did not give a damn. "Nice color. Goes well with your skin tone." _Duh, what a lame thing to say._

"Since you washed my other sleepwear, I was forced to wear this," she said coyly.

"Hey, no complaints here." He tried to get back to business. "Check out these financials Nell found on the bakery boys."

Kensi climbed into bed and scooted closer to see the screen. Deeks inhaled her flowery shower gel. _Fern, you are killing me. _He didn't know whether to thank Hetty or curse her for this assignment.

Kensi quickly scanned the info and they tossed around ideas and theories about all the neighbors they'd met so far. Finally, Deeks yawned and closed the tablet. "Time to go to sleep." _Yeah, like that's gonna happen. I'll be tossing and turning all night being this close to Kensi and not able to do anything about it. _

"Yeah, I'm beat," said Kensi.

To Deeks' surprise, Kensi did not scurry to the far side of the bed tonight. She lay on her back, close to him. The room was dark and only a sliver of light from the streetlight peeked through the curtains.

Deeks reached down and clasped Kensi's hand, twining their fingers. He lifted it to his lips and kissed the back of her hand. "Two can play this game," he whispered.

Kensi smiled in the darkness.


	5. Dreams and Confessions

_They ran across rooftops – she, Callen, and Sam – chasing bad guys and dodging bullets. They spotted Dom. He was battered and exhausted, but alive. Thank goodness! Bullets flew in every direction. Just when they thought the firefight was over, a stray bullet hit Dom and he went down, never to rise again._

_But it wasn't Dom, it was Deeks. _

"_NO, NOOOH" screamed Kensi. "Get up, Deeks!" _

She jerked awake and sat straight up in bed. Her heart pounded as if she'd run a marathon.

_Only a nightmare_, she thought with relief. She shivered and rubbed her bare arms.

Beside her, Deeks slept peacefully, one arm thrown across his face and his mouth slightly open. She watched him for several long minutes. Then he rolled onto his side, oblivious to the terror she'd experienced.

_He's okay and I'm okay. _She took a few deep breaths and kept repeating that in her mind. She wasn't sure why she'd dreamed about her former partner. Was she afraid Deeks would vanish from her life like Dom, Jack, and her father had?

Her eyes filled with tears. What if Deeks went back to the LAPD or moved to Siberia or, heaven forbid, was struck down in the line of duty? What if she never got to tell him how she really felt?

Sure, he was annoying as hell sometimes. Well okay, most of the time. But deep-down, he was a good guy, a decent guy. He would never intentionally hurt her nor let anyone else hurt her. He was loyal and smart and funny and, oh yeah, let's not forget sexy in his own scruffy, unkempt way.

She hated it when other women ogled him or tried to slip him their phone number. She hated it when he flirted back. Why? Anyone with half a brain knew the answer.

_Because he's my_ _partner and . . . and I'm in love with him. _

Deeks was also in dream land.

_It was dusk. He and Monty were running along a deserted stretch of beach. Gentle waves lapped the shore. Up ahead, a lone jogger was headed their way. As the distance closed, he saw it was a woman. _

_Monty recognized his "mom" and began barking and running toward her. He jumped up and knocked Kensi onto her back. She laughed as he covered her face with wet doggy kisses._

_Deeks caught up and dropped down beside her. They talked and laughed for a few moments. Then Deeks extended his hand and pulled her to her feet. "Come on, Kensi." They turned and walked hand in hand toward his apartment. _

_Once there, touching led to kissing led to tumbling into bed and . . . _

Deeks' eyes were closed, but he felt movement in the bed. He was still dreaming, right? He cracked open one eye and found that his dream had turned into reality. Had he talked in his sleep? He wasn't sure, but he discovered Kensi spooned against him, her back to his chest. He lay there pondering this seismic shift in his universe.

Was Kensi awake or was her subconscious taking over? She could deny it all she wanted, but he knew the truth. She took his arm and wrapped it around her waist, pausing the rub her thumb over his wedding band.

Who was he to question this turn of events? He thanked his lucky stars and pressed a light kiss on her shoulder.

3 a.m.

Deeks' cell buzzed. His hand shot out to retrieve it from the nightstand. The caller ID showed Eric's number.

"What's up, Eric?"

"We dug a little deeper on Bob and Rob. Over the last few weeks they've been moving large sums of cash to off-shore accounts, mainly in the Cayman Islands and Bermuda. I think it's safe to say they are not stashing it there to buy new mixing bowls and muffin tins."

"Uh-huh. Anything else?" Deeks stifled a yawn.

Eric gave some other information, then finished with, "Can you let Kensi know? Her cell seems to be off."

"Oh, her battery died, but she's right here."

Kensi was now fully awake . "You did that on purpose," she hissed as she punched his arm.

"Ow!"

"Alrighty then. Talk to you . . . later," said Eric.

In the ops center, Eric and Nell exchanged a glance. "So . . . it's 3 a.m. Do you think they're sitting around drinking beer?" asked Nell.

Eric looked skeptical. "Do _you_ think they're sitting around drinking beer?"

A moment passed. "No . . ." began Eric.

". . . way," finished Nell.

"Think Hetty knows?"

Eric adjusted his glasses. "Hetty knows everything. Even things _you _didn't know you knew, she knows."

Nell considered the implications. "Scary."

"Absolutely terrifying," nodded Eric.

The two computer experts studied their screens in silence for a minute. "If we were in the field, would we be drinking beer at 3 a.m.?" asked Nell.

Eric gave a small smile.


	6. Confrontation

**CHAPTER 6 – Confrontation**

Deeks awoke to the sound of pots and pans banging in the kitchen. What was Kensi up to? He padded into the bathroom and splashed some water on his face. As he did so, he noticed two things: His hair was more disheveled than usual and, more importantly, Kensi's sexy little nightgown was hanging on a hook behind the door.

He dried his hands and then couldn't resist fingering the luxurious material, the lace accents, the thin straps that would be so easy to push off her shoulders. He lifted it to his nose and inhaled. _Yep, all Kensi and I'm in way over my head. _

Hetty's warning flashed through his mind. _Sure, Hetty was right, but whatever happens in suburbia, stays in suburbia._

Kensi looked amazing in that little wisp of temptation. He wasn't sure how much more he could endure. Every night they shared a bed he felt the invisible line of their "thing" eroding. Last night had been the most intimate gesture she'd ever made toward him.

Deeks strolled down to the kitchen. Kensi was attempting to make scrambled eggs. One egg had broken on the tile floor and she was mumbling under her breath.

"I slept sooooo well last night," announced Deeks. He stretched his arms over his head and yawned widely.

Kensi grabbed a handful of paper towels and bent to clean up the floor. "Good for you." She mopped it up and tossed the soggy bundle in the trash can.

"Didn't you?" he asked.

"For the most part," she replied cryptically. "I had a weird dream."

_Okay, better not go there. _He went to the refrigerator and stuck his head in. "Want some toast?"

"Sure." Kensi cast a glance at his butt and wide shoulders. She sighed and concentrated on scrambling the eggs. _ Am I acting like a wife here? Probably not. Deeks made pancakes. After all, we have to eat. And it's kinda fun to be domestic with him. _

"White or wheat?" he asked.

"Huh? Do you have to ask?"

Deeks laughed. "Of course not. Crappy, no-nutritional-value white bread for you and wheat for me." He focused on loading the toaster and wondered if he should confront her about whatever that was during the night. Incident, flirtation? He didn't know how to label it in his brain. It was bugging him so he had to say something.

"Uh, Kensi, you know, last night . . . what was that about?"

"What?" She tried to play dumb, but Deeks gave her a "you know what I'm talking about" look.

"You all snuggled up against me."

Seconds passed as Kensi pushed the eggs around the skillet. Finally, she looked up. "Are you complaining?"

Deeks ran a hand over his face. "Hell, no. It was awesome! Every night should be that _cozy_. It's a hundred times better than Monty sharing my space. Not to mention, you smell like a rose garden and poor old Monty sometimes smells like the neighbor's garbage can."

Kensi frowned. "Well, thank you for elevating me above the canine species with your backhanded compliment. I don't know whether to be flattered or offended."

Deeks stilled her hand. "You know that's not what I meant." He picked up her left hand and played with her wedding rings. Kensi gave him a strange look.

_Yeah Kens, I remember you doing this to me._

"Listen, I know I'm not getting this right, but it's like we turned onto a different road and I don't know our final destination. I'm . . . "

"Afraid we'll crash and burn?"

He studied her for a long moment. "Maybe. And that would kill me."

"Me, too," she said softly.

_Wow, did we just agree on something here? _wondered Deeks.


	7. Closing In

**CHAPTER 7** Closing In

Deeks scanned the street. All their neighbors seemed to be at work or at least away from home.

"Too bad Monty's not here. I could walk him and snoop around, especially down at Bob and Rob's place. Maybe throw a ball into the yard and let him retrieve it."

Kensi was on the couch reading something on her laptop. "Uh-huh."

He let the drapes fall back into place and came and stood in front of her. He looked her up and down. She was wearing white Capri pants and a lemon-yellow vee-neck tee shirt. "Guess I'll have to walk you instead, Fern."

She glanced up and gave him the "death stare." "Again, comparing me to a dog," she said with impatience.

"Oh no, not at all. But if I were – which again let me emphasize that I'm not – you'd definitely be a pure-bred , Westminster Kennel Club Best in Show."

"Keep on. That hole you're digging is getting bigger by the second. Pretty soon, you're gonna pop up in front of the Great Wall."

Deeks picked up his gun and secured it in his back holster. _Yeah, pit bull or maybe Rottweiler. _

"You're much more docile when we're in bed at night. Well, I don't know what you're like _in bed_ in bed since we've never actually done . . . you know, _that_." In true Deeks fashion, his mouth worked faster than his brain.

"But I picture you as a lioness. You won't go down without a fight. Grrrrrr!" He pantomimed a lion attacking.

She closed the laptop and set it on the coffee table. "Keep it up, beach boy, and you may _never_ know." She slipped into her sandals and stood. "Let's go." She walked toward the front door, sliding her sunglasses on.

"Oooh, she goes for the jugular. He thought about what she'd said. "Wait up. That statement implies there's a chance that one day I _might_ know." He lifted the sunglasses and gave her a pointed look. "Ball's in your court, Blye."

"Don't read too much of your lawyer stuff into it." _Good one, Kensi. You walked into that one. _

She was already to the sidewalk when Deeks caught up with her and took her hand. Fortunately, she did not resist. They strolled down the street, stopping to admire flower beds or various architectural features of the homes. Then they came to Bob and Rob's home.

"Meticulous landscaping, no chipped paint anywhere, but a lot of surveillance cameras. Seems excessive for this neighborhood," noted Kensi.

"Yeah, this is an exclusive area. Not a lot of crime reported, unless it's identity theft. So they must have something to hide," offered Deeks. His cell buzzed.

"Hip, suburban couple out for a walk," he answered jauntily when he saw the number.

"Guys, we've lost the feed from one of your cameras," said Nell.

"Do you see us right now?"

"Negative. The camera on the north side of the house is not working."

"Okay, we'll check it."

Twenty minutes later they were back at their house. "Can you hold this ladder for me?" asked Deeks.

"Guess I'll have to. Otherwise, you might fall and break that inflated head of yours."

Deeks climbed up and began fiddling with the camera. He touched his ear bud. "Is it working now?" he asked Eric.

"Nope."

Deeks tweeked it again. "And now?"

"I'm staring into the gaping mouths of four baby birds in that oak tree."

Kensi could hear the exchange on her ear bud. "I have a great view down here," she said as she stared up at Deeks' rear end.

Another adjustment. "Okay, we're live," said Eric.

"Say again, Kens." Deeks looked down at her, lost his balance, and fell into the shrubbery. Kensi screamed and jumped out of the way as the ladder fell.

"Oh my God, Deeks! Are you okay?" She bent over him as he moaned and clutched his back. "Do you need an ambulance?

"I'm good, just help me up."

He limped into the house with Kensi's support and laid down on the floor in front of the couch. "Wouldn't you be more comfortable _on_ the couch?" she asked with concern.

"No, this feels better. I've thrown out my back a few times and this is what works best."

"If you say so." Kensi went to the kitchen and returned with water and Tylenol. Before she could apologize for making that stupid remark, her cell rang. "Kensi, what happened?" asked Eric.

"Deeks fell off the ladder, but he's okay." She looked over at him. "You're okay, aren't you?"

His eyes were closed and his face was a grimace. "Yeah. Nurse Blye is attending to me."

"Right. Well, we figured out the true identities of Bob and Rob."

"Let me put it on speaker so Deeks can hear." She hit the button. "Go ahead."

"Bob is actually Josef Primakov and Rob is Yuri Mikhailovich. The funny thing is, Primakov's parents owned a bakery in a small town outside Moscow and he worked there as a teenager. But he quickly tired of that and fell in with the Russian mafia. That's where he met Yuri."

"Okay. Thanks, Eric. Deeks and I are having dinner with that couple Brett and Paulina tonight so we'll try to figure out if they're somehow connected with Bob and Rob."

From the floor Deeks groaned. "I'd forgotten about that. Can't we have dinner by ourselves?"

Kensi rolled her eyes. "Stop whining. This is work."

Deeks swallowed some Tylenol and water. "When this is over, we should go out to a nice dinner _alone_. And no work talk."

Kensi stared at him. "Are you asking me on a date?"

Deeks' eyes were closed and he pretended not to hear.

7 p.m.

Kensi shimmied into the sleeveless royal blue dress in the large walk-in closet. She could manage the long back zipper by herself, but why should she when Deeks was eager to help? She heard him moving around the bedroom as he talked to Callen on the phone.

The call ended and he called out, "You ready, Kensi?"

"Uh, I need a little help."

"Sure, I'm your guy." As soon as the words were out, he realized how it must sound to Kensi. "Well, I'm your _helper_."

Kensi watched his reaction in the full-length mirror. "Wow. You look . . .great." Her hair was twisted up in some fancy way, but the back of the dress gaped open.

"Can you zip me?"

"No problem." He noted that she was wearing a black thong and black lace bra. "There you go." He caught her eye in the mirror and smiled. Their game was still afoot.

"Thanks."

They left the house and walked down to Brett and Paulina's house. It was a short distance, but Deeks took Kensi's hand. She found that she liked that.

Dinner was a tedious affair with Brett hitting on Kensi and Paulina hitting on Deeks. Neither one liked that and couldn't wait to get out of there.

"We didn't show you the basement yet," cooed Paulina after dinner.

Deeks looked at Kensi. "Okay, but then we should get going. Busy day tomorrow." So far, they had not found anything to connect them to Bob and Rob, unless the basement yielded some intel.

Big surprise! Paulina and Brett's basement was a kinky sex dungeon and they were hoping to recruit Deeks and Kensi as playmates.

Deeks and Kensi quickly excused themselves and left. They couldn't contain their nervous laughter. "Did you see that . . ." asked Deeks. "I know. And what about . . ." said Kensi.

They hadn't gone ten steps before shots rang out from the direction of Bob and Rob's house. Callen's voice came over their ear buds. "Sam and I are at the end of the street. You've been made. Bob and Rob are trying to flee the country."

The takedown was over in fifteen minutes. Bob and Rob were cuffed and taken away. Kensi and Deeks filled Callen and Sam in on the rest of the neighbors. It did not appear that any of them were connected to the bakery boys.

Callen stepped away to call Hetty. He returned in a few minutes. "Deeks, Kensi, Hetty says you can come in tomorrow to finish your report. Oh, and to get a good night's sleep." He glanced between the partners as if he suspected something.

"Sound good to me," said Deeks.

1:30 a.m.

"Need help with that zipper?" asked Deeks.

Kensi stood before the bathroom mirror unpinning her hair.

Without waiting for an answer, Deeks came in and started unzipping her dress. His hand lingered at the bottom of the zipper. He looked at her in the mirror.

"You can leave now," she said.

He didn't.

"Don't get any ideas because of what you saw in Brett and Paulina's basement," warned Kensi.

His goofy grin appeared. "Oh, I have plenty of ideas. Just not sure you're ready to hear them yet."

The front doorbell sounded. "What the hell?" said Deeks. "Maybe Callen forgot something."

Kensi finished undressing and slipped her nightgown over her head. She climbed into bed and picked up her laptop. _Our last night together,_ she sighed. She was glad the op was a success, but now what? Where did that leave her and Deeks?

She heard Deeks coming up the stairs. She quickly pulled up a magazine on the screen and tried to appear occupied.

"Wrong house. It was a pizza delivery for Brett and Paulina. They must work up quite an appetite with all their, um, _activities_," he laughed.

Kensi did an eye roll. "Imagine that."

Deeks went into the bathroom, emerging a moment later in his tee shirt and pajama bottoms. He fell face down onto the bed. "My back is killing me," he moaned.

"Deeks, this is not a trampoline. It's our bed," chided Kensi.

He turned his head toward her. "Our bed. I like the sound of that. Kens, can you check my back?"

"Okay." She set the laptop aside and pushed up his tee shirt. "Ugh. Bunch of scratches and a big Technicolor bruise. I'll put some of that ointment on it."

She retrieved it from the bathroom and perched on the side of the bed. "It would be better if you took off your tee shirt." He peeled it off and lay down again. He flinched a bit as she rubbed it in.

"Deeks, I'm sorry."

"It's not that bad."

"No, I mean, it's my fault you fell. If I hadn't made that stupid remark about your butt, you wouldn't have lost your balance. You could have suffered a serious injury and then I'd be without my partner."

As much as he loved the feel of her hands on his back, he rolled over and pulled her down on top of him. "Hey, it's okay. I've had worse gunshot wounds. And I'm still your partner. Always will be." He turned off the bedside lamp and pulled the comforter over them.

Tomorrow they would sort out everything else.


	8. Back to Reality

**BACK TO REALITY**

"Could I point out that it is more efficient to squeeze the toothpaste from the end of the tube rather than in the middle?" asked Deeks.

Kensi glanced down. The tube of toothpaste lying on the counter seemed to mock her. "It may be more efficient, but that doesn't mean I'm going to change my habit."

Deeks studied her reflection in the mirror. "Duly noted. Although . . . I might have to request a more _efficient_ partner on future undercover ops."

"Good luck with that," mumbled Kensi. She rinsed her toothbrush and stuck it in her cosmetic bag. "Callen, maybe? He's the poster boy for efficiency. But can you picture him in burgundy silk?" _Take that, Deeks!_

Deeks cringed. "Not a good visual." He finished packing up his toiletries, then paused and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Think I should shave before we leave?"

Kensi snorted. "Do you even own a razor?"

Deeks left Kensi in the bathroom and went to gather up his clothes. He stopped short when he saw her nightgown flung carelessly across the foot of the bed. He caressed the soft material and let his mind wander.

_One of these nights I'm gonna get you out of this. _

He sighed and pulled his thoughts back to the present. He folded his clothes, but frowned when he realized one of his LAPD tee shirts was missing. Was it still in the dryer downstairs?

He scanned the room and saw it on a pile of Kensi's tops. Was that a mistake or was she trying to steal his shirt? No matter. It looked better on her anyway.

It was early afternoon when they arrived back at the Mission. Team updates, mountains of paperwork and, worst of all, debriefing by Hetty loomed before them.

First, Hetty interviewed them together. They tried to dodge her probing questions with their usual snippy comments and nervous laughter. Somewhere Deeks had found a small ball that he bounced up and down. Kensi tried to give him a_ stop that! _look.

Then Hetty went for the kill by talking to each agent separately. Deeks went first and Kensi returned to her desk. Sam and Callen were out talking to informants about another case.

She grabbed a pencil and started doing a word search puzzle. Her brain was too frazzled to concentrate on boring paperwork. Besides, the forms and reports weren't going anywhere.

Finally, Deeks returned and Kensi braced herself for Hetty's interrogation. The shrewd little woman always saw and knew more than you realized.

"Come on, it's not that bad," said Deeks as she walked by. "It's not a root canal."

Kensi was mentally drained after talking to Hetty. She went to find Deeks, but there was no sign of him. His grey hoodie was still hanging on the wrought-iron hook behind his desk.

_Maybe he's in the gym. _

But he was not. Kensi decided she needed to hit something. She quickly changed her clothes and began pummeling the punching bag. After a few rounds, she sat on the bench with her head in her hands.

"Go home, Ms. Blye. Get some rest," said Hetty.

Kensi's head jerked up. "I will."

Hetty started to walk away, but turned back. "Don't worry about Mr. Deeks. I sent him to the hospital to have his back x-rayed. Just a precaution, you understand."

"Okay, that's good."

Kensi showered and changed into her street clothes. _Might as well go home. Deeks could be at the hospital for hours. I'll call him later. _

But as she stepped into the warm night air, Deeks drove up.

"How your back?"

"Clean bill of health," he grinned. "I'm thinking about an artery-clogging cheeseburger. You game?"

Kensi smiled. "Always."

It was after ten and Deeks was driving Kensi home. "So, where do you think we should go on vacation?" he asked.

"What?" The question startled Kensi. She'd been wondering how she would survive this night alone.

"Beach or mountains? I'm thinking beach. Maybe Mexico or Hawaii. Sun, big waves, you in a hot pink bikini - no, make that electric blue - me rubbing suntan lotion on your back. Or we could go island-hopping in the Greek isles."

One thing you could say about Deeks - he was never at a loss for words. It was a characteristic both annoying and endearing. He could talk his way into, or out of, most any situation. A good thing in the field; right now, not so much.

"What are you babbling about? I've just spent the last seventy-two hours glued to your side . . ."

"Yeah, I liked that," interrupted Deeks. He grinned.

"Isn't that enough?" continued Kensi.

They stopped at a red light. Deeks turned to her. "Not for me. I love working with you, Kens. I love hanging out with you. Heck, I think I might be in . . ."

Kensi touched his leg. "Don't say another word." Once the "L" word was out, there would be no going back. Their _thing_ would morph into something Kensi wasn't sure she could handle yet. Sure, the same word was on the tip of her tongue, but so far she'd managed not to let it slip out.

A horn honked behind them. They rolled through the intersection and drove the rest of the way to Kensi's apartment in silence, each partner wondering what the other really had on his mind.

Five minutes later, they pulled up to Kensi's apartment. While she was glad to get back to her place, Kensi hated, hated, hated the idea of being alone tonight.

Deeks shut off the engine and turned to look at her. "Are you okay?"

She tried to think of a way to delay him. _Would it seem needy if I asked him to stay? _"Of course. Why wouldn't I be? But I could use some Rocky Road. Want some?"

Deeks shrugged. "Sure." Truth be told, he wasn't all that excited about returning to his empty apartment. Monty wasn't even there to greet him. His LAPD buddy Kevin was keeping him.

Deeks slung an arm around Kensi's shoulder as they walked to the front door. "We had a good run, didn't we, Fern?" he teased. He knew all was not right when she failed to object to the silly cover name or smack his arm.

Kensi unlocked the door and Deeks followed. He laid her garment bag over the back of a chair.

They both went to the kitchen. Deeks took the ice cream from the freezer while Kensi rounded up bowls and spoons. They went to the living room and sat – close but not touching – on the couch. Kensi clicked on the TV. The _National Geographic_ channel popped up. It was a program about the mating habits of African animals.

_That's weird. I never watch that channel. Deeks must have been watching it before we went undercover. Before we got 'married.'_

Deeks smirked. "Would you look at that. In the wild, animals just get down to business. Bam! They don't analyze every situation to death."

Kensi gave him a sharp look. "What's that supposed to mean?" She grabbed the remote and switched to a cooking show. Equally useless since she did not cook.

_Here it comes, another stupid argument,_ thought Deeks. "I don't know. I guess it means when they find the right mate, they go for it. They don't hesitate. You know a 'time is of the essence' sort of thing."

"Whatever. When did you turn into a wildlife biologist?

Deeks took the remote and muted the program. "All I'm saying, Kens, is that you are the most important woman in my life." He paused. "Well, other than Hetty and she scares the crap out of me." He gave a shudder.

By now, they had finished their ice cream and Kensi took the bowls to the kitchen. She rinsed them and stashed them in the dishwasher. A heavy sigh escaped her lips. She felt tears welling up and wondered how much more she could take.

"Anything you want to contribute to the conversation, Kensi? Any thoughts?"

Her cell rang and she saw that it was her mom. She snatched a paper towel and dabbed her eyes. She really didn't want to talk to anyone, but answered anyway. "Hi, mom. Yeah, the op is over." She chatted for five minutes and then returned to the living room.

Deeks was stretched out on the couch like he owned the place. Suddenly, his cell rang. He pulled it from his pocket and checked the ID. He sat up and answered. While listening, he ran his hand through his hair, asking, "When" and "How long?"

Kensi didn't like the sound of the one-sided conversation. A strange feeling came over her. _Why can't I admit my feelings for Deeks? He almost said the "L" word. But I wouldn't let him. _

Deeks looked up at her. His heart clinched when he saw the defeated expression on her face.

"LAPD," he said. "I may have to go undercover again. They have a new lead on the Los Reyes drug cartel money-laundering operation. We thought we'd put them out of business couple of years ago."

"Hetty approved?

"Yeah."

"Are we talking a week, a month . . . six months?" Kensi always despised those women who became whiney and clingy about their significant others. She hated to admit it, but she was rapidly turning into one of them because, dammit, Deeks was _her_ significant other.

"No idea. I have to meet with them tomorrow."

Deeks sensed Kensi's anxiety and it was like a kick in the gut. Somehow he had to lighten the mood. "Hey, maybe I'll need a sultry senorita to pose as my woman and Hetty will loan _you_ to LAPD. How cool would that be?"

"That's not funny." Kensi frowned, but resisted the urge to stomp her foot in frustration.

_Well, that went over like a lead balloon. _He stood and shoved the phone in his pocket. "Listen, I can always get you a burner phone so we can keep in touch."

He looked at his fake wedding ring as if seeing it for the first time. In today's chaos, he'd forgotten about it. He slid it off and placed it on the coffee table.

"Can you return this to Hetty?"

"Sure." She removed her rings and put them beside his.

"I should get going." He looked at her and waited. _I know she cares about me._ _Why can't she admit it? Come on, Kens. Throw me a crumb here. _

"Guess we can finish this conversation another time." He reached for his jacket on the back of the couch.

Kensi's feelings battled within her. _Do something! Say something! Don't let him leave._

"Deeks . . . _Marty._"

He turned and met her eyes, surprised to hear his first name. For a moment neither spoke. "You're not going anywhere tonight," Kensi said, swallowing the lump in her throat. She'd finally come to a decision: No more games. She stepped closer and took his hand, but neither made any effort to move.

"You can't communicate like this with a burner phone," she whispered. She stood on tiptoe and lightly pressed her lips to his.

Deeks'eyes widened and he felt his heart would explode with joy. "Really?" He narrowed his eyes, but then his adorable, goofy grin appeared. "Are you trying to take advantage of me, Kensi Marie Blye?"

She sighed, rolled her eyes, and punched his arm. "In every possible way. No more talking, Deeks. I can think of better things for your lips to do."

"Oooh, my Wikipedia's sassy tonight. I like it." In that instant, all thoughts and worries about the LAPD operation were forgotten. Without warning, Deeks bent and swept Kensi up into his arms, then bounced her in the air for good measure.

"Drop me and you're a dead man," she yelped as she flailed at him.

"Wouldn't dream of it, princess."

**The Next Morning**

It was still dark when Deeks crept out of Kensi's bed. He planned to make a donut run, swing by his apartment for clean clothes, and return before she woke up. Then they would go into work together.

If he died tomorrow, Deeks would die a happy man. His world had tilted on its axis. A big smile spread across his scruffy face. He'd always had Kensi's back; now he had her heart, too.

He glanced around the living room for his keys and finally saw them on the coffee table, next to their wedding rings. Whatever happened with LAPD, he'd get through it. _They'd _get through it_. _He located a pen and notepad on the end table. Quickly, he traced the size of Kensi's ring.

_Might need this in the future_, he thought.

THE END

A big THANK YOU for everyone who's read and commented. I love your feedback! I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. This week I'm starting an evening class so my focus will be on that for a few weeks. I hope to write more in the future! Thanks again.


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